The New Kid 2
by Yuja
Summary: Almost a year after part 1, Isaac is in his senior year at Vale High. Babi's gone, Kraden's a teacher, and Isaac's Psynergy is under control... Right? Somehow, things don't seem to be getting any easier. Set in modern times.
1. It Begins Again

The New Kid 2

Chapter 1

Okay, so I lied about working on my other stories first. But I'm currently stuck in them, can't for the life of me get back into the mindset needed to write them, and I've been getting ideas from certain people about writing side-stories for the characters in the NK series. In short, I'm stuck in the NK mindset.

Aaaaaaaannnndddd… I can't think of anything else to say at the moment. So, before Uber Spoonz hunts me down and steals my laptop, here's the first chapter of the sequel of "The New Kid" (and "New Kid 2" is just a working title until I think of something else). Jenna?

Jenna: For the love of too many hot chocolates this week alone and the hyperactive sugar high that comes with it, Yuja doesn't own Golden Sun.

JENNA!

Jenna: She also has nothing to do with Wikipedia, even if it was where she got the idea for Kraden's lecture and diagram. Don't try quoting her on the alchemy stuff either, it kinda got rearranged as needed to fit this story.

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"He's open! He kicks! And he scores! The crowd goes wild!" Garet cupped his hands around his mouth and made a noise that sounded surprisingly like the cheers of a large stadium audience, only muffled.

"Yeah, yeah. It's a wonderful day in the world of amateur soccer, I'm sure," said Felix in mock disappointment.

"Oh, you're just upset that I finally beat you." Garet was grinning from ear to ear.

"You wish." Felix crossed his arms.

They were at the usual spot in the park, and Garet had just gotten his first score and win against Felix in a game of soccer. Mia and Jenna sat on one of the benches reading books for English class, Ivan and Sheba chatted away on the other bench, and Isaac just sat contently next to the two bookworms as he watched the game.

Garet and Felix walked over to the benches, and Garet grinned at Isaac as Felix took a seat next to Ivan and Sheba on the other bench. "Care for a game of soccer, Isaac?"

The Venus Adept smiled back. "Are you sure you can keep up?"

"Oh, come on! That's what Felix said just before I skunked him!"

Isaac laughed and stood. "All right, all right." He and Garet walked back to the makeshift field.

"First to score 10 wins the game, OK?" Isaac nodded, focusing on the soccer ball between them. In the end, Isaac won 10 to 4.

"You were just lucky, that's all," said Garet in a huff, putting the ball under one arm as they walked back to the others, pretending to be mad with Isaac. Any stranger to the group would almost think that the two were brothers if it weren't for the different appearances.

Isaac just grinned back. "Want a rematch then?"

"Nah. I'll just let you be the victor for a day. Consider yourself lucky."

Isaac cocked an eyebrow. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

_Isaac._

"Huh?" Isaac stopped walking to listen. The now very familiar whispers of the earth surrounded him, but a strange voice seemed to stand out from the rest.

_A great power. It grows with you. The power of the earth itself._

Garet turned around to see his friend a few steps behind him. "Isaac? You okay?" Isaac didn't respond, but continued to glance around and into empty space.

_Power. Energy. It grows stronger. We want it. _

Garet took a step closer to the Venus Adept. "Isaac?"

_The power of the Golden Sun. We want it. We _need_ it!_

A spasm of pain started in his chest and shot through his body. Isaac gave a pained gasp and fell to his knees, clutching at his chest with one hand. "Isaac!" Garet ran and knelt beside him as the others jumped up from the benches and hurried over as well. As they got close, though, giant vines shot up from the ground, twisting and blocking their path.

"What the? What is this?" shouted Felix, pulling Jenna back as a vine lashed out at her.

"Isaac? Can you hear me?" Garet reached out to support Isaac by the shoulder, but another hand grabbed his arm and stopped him. Isaac looked up at him, tears threatening to form.

"I… can't control it. Just get out of here," he gasped.

"How many times do I have to tell you? We're not going anywhere!"

The vines shot forward and wrapped around each of their friends before dragging them screaming back under the ground. "Please…just go!"

"Not happening, pal." He started to stand, raising Isaac up with him.

"Garet-" Just then, the ground started to vibrate, and a crack opened up under the red head so that he slipped and tumbled down the crevice that seemed to lead to the very center of the Earth itself. "Garet!" Without Garet's support, Isaac fell back to the ground, the pain now threatening to tear him apart.

And then, adding insult to injury, it all stopped. The crevice closed up, the vibrations ceased, and the pain was gone. And Isaac found himself alone all over again.

----------

Isaac woke with a start. A nightmare; it had been another nightmare. Why did this keep happening to him? Why did he keep seeing his Psynergy grow out of control, and always with the worst consequences? He wasn't sure how much more he could take.

A shiver ran up his back, and he realized he had broken into another cold sweat during the night. _Why was this happening?_

Pulling back his covers, Isaac swung himself out of bed and proceeded to get dressed. Light was just starting to glow through his window blinds, but he knew he couldn't go back to sleep. Nothing seemed to work. He had even tried sleeping aides. And if he wasn't going back to sleep this fine Saturday morning, then he knew just where he could go to take his mind off his horrible nightmares.

It was a twenty minute walk to Kraden's house, though it seemed a lot easier without many cars to worry about as Isaac crossed the roads. Isaac checked his watch when he came to the front door. 6:41. He knocked and waited. Kraden was usually awake by six, and if he wasn't then he would most likely be grateful for the wake up call.

"Isaac? By Sol, what kind of normal high school senior are you to be here at this hour?" Isaac looked up to see the door now open, Kraden standing there looking both curious and amused in full mad scientist garb. His remaining bed hair even matched the imaged. Or maybe that's how he always meant it to look.

The boy only hesitated a little in answering. "What did you mean last week? When you said my Psynergy wasn't out of the woods yet?"

Whatever Kraden had expected to hear, that wasn't it. "Oh, d-did I say that? Oh, well now… Let's see." He left the doorway open as he started walking away, but this wasn't new and Isaac closed the door behind him after stepping inside. "Have to admit, Isaac, I never thought I'd regret having a student who actually listened to me. Anything to drink?"

The Adept tore his gaze from the large painting hanging over the living room fireplace, and shook his head before they moved on. Didn't matter how many times he saw that painting, it had to be the weirdest idea of a lighthouse ever, with large curly waves in the foreground and what looked like a hovering yellow ball of light separate from the top of the tower. He never could figure out what the four other, smaller orbs circling around the large one were supposed to be, aside from added color.

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The weekend passed as usual, and Isaac soon found himself sitting in class again Monday morning, doodling idly in the side margins to his notes. Kraden meanwhile was carrying on at the front of the room, sometimes scratching important names from the history lesson on the chalkboard. Whoever had agreed to give the elder both the history and chemistry teaching positions had a cruel sense of humor against the senior class, since that was the majority of the doctor's students.

"…and before we have Aristotle's alchemy, we have the philosopher Empedocles' theory of the four elements. These became the classical Greek elements, and they are, of course: water," Kraden drew a box on the board and wrote the element at one corner, "fire," the element was written at the opposite corner, "air, and last but not least, earth." The last two elements were written at opposite free corners. He then scribbled "wet" between air and water, "dry" on the opposite side between earth and fire, "hot" between air and fire, and "cold" between earth and water. "These would later become known at the four humors in some regions. In others, a fifth element might be added, whether it be 'void,' 'metal,' you get the idea. Aristotle yet so far as to identify aether, or ether, as a fifth element completely separate from the main four, also based in part on his teacher Plato's…"

Kraden was going more and more into one of his oblivious ramblings when there was a knock at the door. The professor stopped mid sentence, something about Luna and Sol, and turned disappointed to the offending noise. Garet snickered quietly from the desk beside Isaac and slipped over a piece of paper.

_it's the kid in the candy store pout_

Isaac bit back a laugh, and looked over at his friend to see Garet facing forward and trying hard to look serious. He wasn't exactly succeeding. Jenna rolled her eyes from the next desk over. Going back to his doodle masterpiece, Isaac didn't notice what was going on in the room or who had just entered until Garet leaned over and whispered, "Looks like we've got a new kid again, and she doesn't look half bad."

Isaac raised an eyebrow at Garet before looking forward, and everything seemed to slow and go quiet when he caught sight of the girl. She was standing at the front waiting on Kraden to enter her into his records and tell her what to do, the vice principal having already left, and Isaac could do nothing but stare stunned as she twirled a piece of her long, purple hair around her index finger. The only word that could escape the sudden lump in Isaac's throat was a whisper of the name, "F… Feizhi?"

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XD How many thought I had gone insane and was bringing in some sappy Mary Sue OC with that last paragraph? And for those who still have some Mary Sue concerns: don't worry, Isaac's just in shock to see Feizhi there after so many years.

And that's it for chapter 1! If the style seemed to change about halfway through, it's because the nightmare sequence at the start was written a while ago. It was originally intended for using in "The New Kid" as a way of foreshadowing the sequel, but didn't fit in the way I wanted it to at the time. So instead it's getting put to use now. Let me know what you think of this sequel so far by clicking that little "review" button. It makes me write quicker. n.n


	2. When One Returns

The New Kid 2

Chapter 2

Thanks for all the reviews, faves, and story alert adds for the first chapter, everyone! I think I'm _FINALLY_ starting to pull out of my motivation slump again, so you'd better believe it really meant a lot to get such a response to the sequel already.

One chapter down, and already the pairing questions are appearing. XD Rest assured, this part of the series probably _will_ have pairings, or at least a ton of hinting, but as usual everyone is going to have to wait to find out the details. That goes for a lot of other unanswered questions, as well.

Isaac: You're so mean, holding out like that.

Uh huh, sure. Did I mention you'll be part of the pairings?

Isaac: As I was saying, hold out on the pairings as long as you like… Preferably forever.

Jenna: Funny how his tone changes when his health and remaining sanity are potentially threatened.

No kidding. Anyways, I was originally thinking I wouldn't get this up until late Sunday or Monday night, but I found a little extra motivation to upload a little sooner (Saturday night- er, early early Sunday morning).

Happy Deversary, Uber Spoonz! (Probably only a few who read that will know what I'm talking about.)

…… Does this mean my toes are spared now?

Jenna: Yuja doesn't own Golden Sun, though she does own a nice, large bottle of store brand Ibuprofen, and a box of store brand Band Aids.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

"F… Feizhi?" Isaac stared for what seemed like forever. It had to be her. Aside from her height, she hadn't changed one bit!

Feizhi turned to see the desk Kraden was pointing out to her, still not seeming to have noticed the blond teen that was staring at her. Jenna whispered to Garet about how the "dumb guys" were acting like the new girl was some beauty, but caught sight of Isaac and fell silent. Making an annoyed sound, she shook her head at the confused Garet, and sat back in her desk with her arms crossed. In the seat behind her, her brother Felix uneasily ran a hand over his hair, already foreseeing the complaints he would have to listen to later. Behind Isaac and to his left one place, Mia sat quietly focused on her notes, while Sheba behind Isaac, and Ivan behind Garet, exercised their Jupiter Adept abilities in talking telepathically.

The girl took her seat, third row from the door and five seats back, putting her halfway to the front of the room while Isaac and the others sat in the very back. Isaac meanwhile pulled himself out of his stupor, though his mind was once again reeling with questions. What was she doing here? Had her father moved the family back again? Why would he bring them to Vale, though? Wouldn't Tolbi have been a better location for business again? Was this even really the Feizhi Ulmuch he knew from his childhood, or just someone who looked a lot like her?

"So, I'd like everyone to help make Miss Ulmuch here feel more at home," Kraden finished.

That answered that question. Isaac decided he didn't really like irony. Now he had no choice but to get up and talk to her when the bell rang.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

"Are you planning on sitting there for the rest of the day, buddy?" Isaac looked up to see Garet standing over him.

"Er, well, um… No, not really." He sighed. The bell had rung, and he had stayed glued to his seat. Great.

"Then are you coming to literature? I've still gotta stop by the lockers, but if you're not going to be okay..." The red head motioned across the empty classroom towards the door. Everyone else had already left. Even Kraden had already disappeared, probably to stake a claim over any leftover snacks in the teacher's lounge.

Isaac sighed and shook his head, running a hand through his hair anxiously. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm coming," he answered, standing and pulling his books out of his desk. "Sorry, it's just- What was that girl's first name?"

"Girl?"

"The new one. I only caught her last name."

Garet cocked an eyebrow as they entered the busy hallway. "Feizhi, or something like that. Why?"

"She's the same one you used to know, isn't she, Isaac?" Isaac jumped when Ivan appeared behind them. Ivan just grinned innocently.

"Y-Yeah, something like that." He pushed ahead through the crowd until he reached his locker, quickly spinning the combination lock to open it.

Garet opened his locker, which was two away from Isaac's, and Ivan waited between them. "Wait, you already know her? And how does Ivan already know and not me?"

"Jupiter, Garet. Jupiter. Remember last year when I used Mind Read on Isaac that one time?"

Isaac groaned quietly to himself as he traded out his notebooks. He was never going to hear the end of this now. It had been at a sleepover party at Ivan's house when Isaac had one of his recurring nightmares of the time, and the new friend had used his Jupiter Psynergy to read Isaac's mind while Sheba did the explaining to those who were awake. "She's just someone I used to be friends with back in Tolbi, but then she moved away to, I dunno, Xian or some other place like that. She probably doesn't even remember me. I mean, it's been almost six years already."

"So what kind of friends were they?" Isaac almost answered, but to his irritation realized Garet was talking to Ivan instead.

The sophomore psychic was grinning even more than before. "Well, I wouldn't say there _wasn't_ anything past the school acquaintance part, if you know what I mean."

"Yes, school acquaintance is all it was. We were twelve years old, for crying out loud!" Isaac acted as though he was looking for something high in his locker, so his reddening face was hidden from the other boys by the metal locker door. He had to admit, though, that Feizhi just happening to come to Vale really was bugging him.

"His quick angering should speak wonders in itself."

"Ivan, I know where you live."

"Your point?"

"You're only psychic when awake." Isaac shut his locker and started for class.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

The rest of the day was normal enough, though for Isaac it was one question after another. Feizhi was in the same literature class as Isaac and Garet, and again in Kraden's chemistry lesson, which Isaac already shared with Felix and the other three girls in the group. At the start of both classes, she was reintroduced to the students and assigned a new seat, but never did she seem to notice Isaac or his friends sitting at the back of each lesson.

Kraden was starting to drag back into the history lesson from earlier when the bell rang, and he looked ready to throw his chalk at the noise maker if the students hadn't all jumped up to leave, reminding him of where he was. "Oh! Don't forget your assignments tonight. Pages 201 to 203, due on my desk at the start of class. Other than that, have a good afternoon, everyone."

Yet again, Isaac was glued to his seat until the violet-haired girl had left. This didn't go unnoticed by his friends, but for some reason they didn't comment on it as they all made their way to the lockers.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Two hours later found all seven teenagers gathered at Garet's large, two-story house. Jenna, who was stretched out on the floor on her stomach, dropped her pencil onto her notebook paper and proceeded to pop her fingers while stretching. "Is it just me, or did Kraden go lighter on the chem. homework today than he usually does?"

Felix rolled his eyes from his spot on one of the two couches, turning a page in the book he was reading for his literature assignment. Jenna knew how much it bugged him when she popped joints like that. "Probably because he gave us more in history instead."

"Or he was too lost in his ramblings today to think of anything else to assign," added Sheba in her usual monotone manner.

Isaac knew the reasoning, though. Checking his watch, he closed his math book and started packing it and his notes into his backpack. "Hey, Garet? Anything need checking over today? I have to head out for Kraden's soon."

Garet looked up from the paper airplane he had created out of what was supposed to be his homework. It hadn't gained more than five lines of chicken scratch notes before being put to a different use. "Nah, not really. The neighbor's dog dug a hole under the fence last night and did a number on the tulips, though." He turned his attention back to the airplane. "Almost didn't stop Kay in time this morning before she could throw them out, but I talked her out of it. They're in the usual spot behind the shed, if you want to give it a shot."

Isaac shrugged and stood. "Might as well. I'll see what I can do." Going to the sliding glass backdoor, he went outside into the garden area, closed the door behind him, and soon found the multicolored tulips and the long stone planter they were in along the walkway.

They really were in bad shape. The dog had dug most of them up, then apparently chewed and torn them to pieces like a toy. Kneeling in front of them, Isaac reached out for the plants, but kept his hand hovering a few inches above the remains. He cringed a little at the sensations as he assessed the damage, his Venus Psynergy allowing him to practically feel what the plant felt as he focused on different areas. The flower buds themselves were already dead and beyond saving, the empty feeling making Isaac shiver and move on, but the roots and bulbs were still intact and salvageable for the most part.

Isaac replanted the survivors and started to rest his palm on the soil in the middle, but quickly pulled back when the hollow feeling returned to him. Flicking away the last missed piece of dead stem, he tried again, and this time allowed his Psynergy to flow from him into the soil, where it then spread out between each tulip. It was only a few seconds before stems, leaves, and buds started to grow back at a steady pace, glowing with a pale golden light as the Venus magic took effect.

Once the tulips had grown to about the same point they had been at before the canine intruder, Isaac pulled away and stood. Looking over his handiwork with approval, he turned and took no more than two steps before feeling… odd. Glancing back, one tulip stood out more to him than the rest, a very faint light still surrounding it. As he watched, the flower bloomed into a bright fuchsia and fully opened, except it then continued opening, even when the petals started to brown and crinkle. Frowning, Isaac brought up and studied his hands, but couldn't find any sign of where the Psynergy was coming from. Looking back to the tulip dumbfounded, and the hollow feeling sneaking up on him again, all he could do was stare until the flower was completely gray and withered, the stem finally bending down enough to lay flat on the soil. As he moved one step forward to see just what had happened, rustling whispers seem to come at him from everything that was rooted in the garden ground.

Then, in a quick and blurry swirl of the world around him, there was nothing.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Inside, no one was any the wiser to what was happening with their friend. If anything, it was normal for him to disappear into the Jerra garden most afternoons. Ever since their misadventure during the last school year, Isaac's Psynergy was even stronger than he remembered from before. It was either that, or it was only that he knew better how to control and tap into his powers now. Either way, he had quickly realized afterwards that he would develop splitting headaches and more frequent chest pains if he didn't relieve his body of the excess Psynergy on a regular basis.

Ivan was keying math equations into his calculator when he felt the nearby Psynergy levels drop. Normally Isaac let his Psynergy taper off, like he had sensed it do a moment ago. A minute or so later, the presence of Psynergy usage hadn't returned, and Isaac hadn't come back in yet. Ivan glanced up to see if anyone else had noticed anything. Aside from Felix frowning at the wall for no apparent reason, everyone was still busy with their assignments. The clock in the hallway chimed the half hour.

"I'm gonna go tell Isaac what time it is." Putting his work beside him on the couch, Ivan hopped up and headed for the door.

"Good idea," mumbled Jenna, only half paying attention. "He probably got sidetracked taking care of the entire garden again."

Once outside, Ivan followed the stone walkway downhill into the lower part of the garden. Turning the corner around the tool shed, he spotted his friend. "Hey, it's already 5:30. What time was Kraden expecting you?"

Isaac looked up from where he was sitting on an overturned bucket, still near the tulips. "Huh? Oh, um, thanks. I guess I should get going then." Thanks to the shade he was under, Ivan didn't notice Isaac's paleness. Even when they were inside and Isaac was quickly grabbing his things, enough color had returned that no one else noticed anything odd, either, and that was exactly how Isaac wanted to keep it.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

"Kraden?"

"Hmm?"

Isaac bit his lip. The two were in the elder's basement, with Isaac sitting on the bottom step in the stairway and Kraden clinking away at various experiments. He'd been reading the same sentence in his history book for the past five minutes, and it wasn't even his school history book. It was some old thing out of a large collection that Kraden had him read chapters out of every week, claiming it was background studying to help him with his Psynergy. "Do you think-? I mean… Is it possible that my Psynergy is going to keep causing problems for me?"

"How so?"

"Well, it's just…" He trailed off uncertainly. If he told the scholar about his returning nightmares, he'd have to listen to an evening of philosophy and psychology lecturing. If he said anything about what happened at Garet's, he'd spend the rest of the day undergoing the same, boring tests he faced every other time he admitted to something different happening that was Psynergy related. If he said "nothing", then his instructor would know something was up, and would hold him there all night if that's what it took to get an answer out of the teen. "I was just wondering. Paranoia, I guess."

"Ah, yes. I know that one well." Kraden appeared from behind the monument of beakers, scales, papers, and other research materials on the old, wooden work table. "You mustn't worry too much, my boy. It'll only wear on your nerves and drag you down. Then you really will have problems, either from stress or lack of sleep." He chuckled to himself as he leaned against the table edge, mostly facing Isaac and pausing to clean off his spectacles. Giving his student a sideways, questioning glance, he asked, "Is there any particular reason for this new spark of… _curiosity_? Not that it's unhealthy for you to wonder about such things, of course."

Isaac shook his head and went back to his reading. "No, just wondering." The subject didn't come up again during his stay, and by the time he arrived home, finished his homework, and went to bed, his mind was on other matters.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

End of Chapter 2

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Oooh, new section break and chapter ending style. I tried it out in the last SoV update, and decided to keep it for now.

Jenna: Keeps the Microsoft Word program from doing that annoying autocorrect thing, at least.

And it means less of a leap from the mood of the story to the mood of the author notes. So, me thinks me shall keep it. n.n

Seems like I should be saying something else here, but… it's very late, bed is calling, and I like sleep. Sleep is good. Sleep is your friiieeeeennnd.

Sheba: Go to bed before you get tired hyper and scare everyone away.

Okies dokies!


	3. Need for Concern

**The New Kid 2  
Chapter 3**

Late recap from part 1/partial review responses: Babi is (according to the news) dead; Iodem and the other underlings are in the Tolbi prison because of embezzlement and various other charges; Piers returned to Lemuria, but only Kraden knows that he has since returned to Vale; Feizhi is Isaac's friend from when they were 12 years old. As for there ever being a third GS game, it would be nice to have the loose ends finally tied up, but only if the developers don't botch it like what almost happened with TLA. The least they could've done was to get an English translator that knew _English_. Since there weren't any new elements introduced in TLA, I'd probably be disappointed in a "WTH" moment if a GS game was released that did include anything outside of the original four. Unless they stuck with Aristotle or Plato's take on alchemy, in which case I might be okay with it. Actually, I could probably understand if they went with the "void" element Kraden was talking about last chapter, or something similar, because they already had Gaia Falls threatening to destroy everything, and it was just a lot of dark abyss. Eep! Okay, enough of the mad mythology and history ranting in author notes. n.n;

And the question on whether or not Felix is an Adept has struck again! XD The hints are there, a few people have even managed to catch and point them out in the reviews, but the definite answer won't appear until next chapter at the earliest. Sorry for the wait.

Isaac: No, you just like keeping people in suspense.

That too. Anyways, on with the chapter, which thankfully is much longer than the last two were and has more going on. Thank you, everyone who reviewed chapter 2!

Jenna: If you don't know by now that Yuja doesn't own Golden Sun, then you don't need a lawyer. You need a shrink.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

It was dying. Wilting; withering; dying. The had-been tulip was already half decayed when the others around it started to follow, and all he could do was watch numbly as ruin took over the entire garden like a wave. The teenager wasn't sure what scared him more: the destruction of one of his sanctuaries, not being able to do anything about it, or not knowing what was going on. Everything seemed to just be _happening_. He knew this should hold some kind of importance to him, but, no matter how much he tried, his mind couldn't get past the darkened surroundings, the hollowness inside him, and a feeling of utter hopelessness. If someone had come up to him at that moment, he wouldn't have even been able to give his name. As if that wasn't enough, a whip of lightning cracked overhead, and was followed by large rain drops pouring from the dark sky that had formed.

He was vaguely aware of a voice calling, though the name seemed unconnected and detached from him. "Isaac?" It was closer, clearer, but still unable to break through. "Isaac? Is that you?" Was it talking to him? The owner of the high-pitched voice giggled childishly, as though the freak storm was of no concern to it. "I knew I'd find you again! Or was it you who found me this time?"

Isaac, if that was his name, opened his mouth to speak, though it took a few tries before any words could escape. "Who… Who are you?" The rain was freezing as it soaked him through and through, but he couldn't find the energy in him to shiver.

Another giggle. "Aw, don't be like that. You remember me, don't you?" The voice was familiar – small and childish – but the boy couldn't place it. "Don't you?" A ball of light flashed and dimmed in front of him, though it stayed bright enough that he had to squint to block most of it. Floating in the light was the silhouette of a small, animal-like figure, one that might fit in the palm of his hands. A tail waved behind it with a forked tip, but the rest of the shadow's outline just looked like a ball with spikes protruding from it. In a way, it reminded him of a frog, but what frog ever had a tail or spikes?

"I'm… sorry."

The voice made a saddened noise, its ears flattening, and the boy inwardly felt the same hurt. "But... you promised to play with me when we met again. I've been waiting all these years…"

"I'm sorry."

There was a brief silence between them before the voice spoke again. "It's okay. He said this might happen. I just… didn't want to believe it."

The light started to fade away, the figure fading with it, and suddenly Isaac was released from whatever trance had been holding him before. "Wait! Who are you?" It disappeared completely into the shadows of the small shed. But… when did he go from being outside to standing in a shed? "Come back!"

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Isaac rolled over and cracked opened his eyes, only to find himself back in his own bed, and early sunlight streaming in through the gaps in the window blinds. The voice from his dream echoed in his mind as he sat up groggily. _Until we can meet again, Isaac_.

"Who are you?" he repeated aloud to his bed sheets, but didn't receive any answer. It was a just a dream, though. Another really, really weird dream, so of course no one would answer him. He'd know he was finally losing his mind if someone had. Laughing at himself, he yawned and lay back down. Ivan would have fun with that one if he ever found out.

"Isaac? Aren't you up yet?" his mother, Dora, called from downstairs. "Your alarm should've gone off a half an hour ago!" Isaac's eyes shot open as he sat bolt upright. Seven in the morning already; how could he have forgotten to set his alarm again?! Stumbling out of bed, and getting more tangled in the sheets in the process, the teen was soon racing around the house to make up for lost time.

Somehow, he managed to be ready enough by the time Garet pulled up in his car out front. He'd had a truck the year before, but traded it in when the need for gas and insurance money outweighed the occasional use the truck bed had been getting. The red head had been groaning over it ever since, mostly because his older sister loved rubbing it in. Isaac's hair was usually a mess anyways, so the Venus Adept didn't spend the extra effort in combing it before running out the door. "What happened to you? You look like you woke up in the middle of a caffeinated tornado," Garet joked as Isaac tossed his book bag to Felix and Jenna in the back seat.

"Close enough. Forgot to set my alarm again."

"Again?" Jenna poked her head between the front seats to look at Isaac, fake shock painted on her face. "Sheesh, Isaac. At this rate, you're going to be worse than Garet."

Garet rolled his eyes and pulled the car back onto the road. "Hardy har har. Gee, thanks a lot, Jen."

The bell rang as usual at the end of class, once again cutting Kraden off in the middle of his latest rambling. Most of the students got up to leave in the regular loud mass, but Isaac still sat at his desk, his head down and supported by one hand.

A female voice was talking to him. "Isaac?" Probably Mia, but he didn't want to be bothered as he dozed. "Isaac Wood?" Isaac moved his hand to wave off the person. As luck would have it, in his half stupor he waved his supporting limb, causing his forehead to painfully become one with the desk.

"Ah!" He was awake now. "Ow… Dang it… Mia, what's-?" Holding his head, Isaac opened one eye for a glimpse at the person. It wasn't the blue haired Mia, which made Isaac freeze as he realized who it really was.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to startle you!" The girl couldn't seem to decide between helping him, or standing back and leaving him alone.

Isaac continued to massage his forehead, partly to hide his reddening face. Saying this was embarrassing would've been an understatement. "F-Feizhi?"

Feizhi smiled and nodded. "That's right. It's been a long time, Isaac. I was worried that you wouldn't remember me."

Isaac smiled as he stood up, hiding a quick grimace at the movement. "Yeah, well, it's been what? Five… six years? You, um, haven't changed too much though. I-I mean, appearance wise. I mean, aside from being older."

Feizhi giggled. "Thanks. You haven't changed much in looks either. Your mom still can't get you to brush your hair, huh?" Isaac faltered at that one, bringing a hand up to his hair as though he didn't know what she meant. "Well, good to see you again, Isaac. I guess we'll have to catch up after school or something? I'm still learning my way around, and I don't want to be late on my second day." The violet haired girl waved and started to leave.

"I – um – eh – F-Feizhi, wait." Feizhi stopped a few desks away and turned back. "You, um, have literature next, right? And chemistry with Dr. Kraden after that?

"That's right, but how did you know?"

"I – uh – I have the same classes. I saw you in them yesterday, but I wasn't sure if it was really you so I didn't say anything." The question of how they ended up with the exact same schedule nagged at him, but as they talked and entered the hallway, it was quickly forgotten.

Aside from introducing Feizhi to his other friends, the rest of the day was _almost_ as uneventful as ever. Garet started to bug Isaac with his "is she really your long lost girlfriend" jokes, but that only resulted in Garet's foot being stepped on, his arm being elbowed out from under his chin, being jabbed in the side with a pencil eraser, and generally being glared at.

If that weren't uncomfortable enough, there was one other thing that did happen, and an awkward silence fell over their lunch table as Feizhi asked a certain question. "W- Say what again?" coughed Jenna, reaching for her small milk carton.

Feizhi barely seemed to notice everyone's reactions. "Mr. Babi from Tolbi. I heard he came to Vale last year, and locals usually get discount specials to his stores. So, did he set any up while he was here? Oh! And did they ever catch the people who bombed his factory?"

The rest of the group glanced among themselves. Isaac's attention turned downward to his food tray as he took another bite. Any talk about Babi had died out within a week of his death, so the questions Feizhi was suddenly asking caught them all by surprise. Not to mention that it stirred up some… memories. "Did I say something wrong?"

Mia smiled and waved it off like it was nothing. "No, it's fine. It's just been a while since anyone here has heard anything about that man. He wasn't here long enough to build much, though, and I don't think he opened any stores that I know of."

"That's kind of odd, though… Does anyone know if the bombers are even still in Vale? Seems sort of weird that someone could level a factory, and without starting some kind of investigation either." Feizhi poked at her food, thinking.

"There was an investigation, though. Landed the old geezer in jail, too."

"Garet," Mia warned. Normal Vale residents were in the dark as to what information had been dug up about Tolbi's former mayor. "It's not right to call someone older things like that." With her face turned so Feizhi wouldn't easily see it, Mia gave Garet a look that should have clearly said, "Play dumb, or else."

As usual, he didn't take the hint. "What? It's not like he didn't get what he deserved." Garet leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed. "And it's not like anyone ever asked him to… come… here… Oh." The light bulb had finally turned on.

Feizhi, however, was hanging on Garet's every word. "Really? What did he do? Is he still in jail here? Did your news here ever say what was found in the investigation?"

Garet scratched his head. Was she really that dense, or had he become a better fibber? "Nah, he died not long after being locked up. His underlings were sent back to the Tolbi prison after their trials, and not much has been heard since. As for what he did," Garet straightened in his chair, wishing he could use the chance to bad mouth the old creep, but knowing the girls would clobber him for it, "all we ever heard was that he got mixed up in some embezzlement issues and stuff. Oh, and we never heard about any bombers." _Isaac made sure it came down, anyways._ "I guess his mechanics just didn't know what they were doing when they set everything up. It all glitched and blew up on its own, no bombs included."

More like it was brought down by one broken water main and human-sized rock spikes shooting up everywhere, Isaac thought begrudgingly. He could still remember the heat and stench of that place burning down around him, and one of the only two people he would ever wish such a thing on was already dead. The other would hopefully stay locked away until he joined the first. Looking over, he expected Feizhi to start with another barrage of questions, but had to do a double take when he caught sight of her expression. He couldn't believe it. Feizhi was actually _buying_ it!

"Amazing… I hope not many were hurt."

Garet seemed thrown off by her easy acceptance as well. "Er… No, pretty much everyone got out."

The violet haired girl smiled. "Well, that's good to hear."

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Vale's main park hadn't changed in the course of the summer, aside from a few of the rusty old swing sets finally being replaced. As always, the larger jungle gym setup was overrun by children, teenagers, and parents within minutes of a distant school bell ringing, and no one paid any attention to a young man sitting on one of the nearby benches. Other than his long blue hair, he looked like any other normal person in a navy blue t-shirt, blue jean pants, and a blue jean jacket.

"Aaron's it!" The teen looked over to where a group of elementary students were running in a game of tag, and chuckled to himself as a small boy with red hair chased after the taller kids. Although, if little Aaron was here, then maybe he should leave before-

"Alex?"

Too late. Forcing down a cringe, Alex turned in his seat to grin up at the girl behind him. "Hey, Kay. How's it going?"

Kay rolled her eyes, but walked around the bench to sit beside him with a wry smile. She was about the same age as him, with her red bangs pulled back in a ponytail behind her head, but was a couple inches shorter than Alex if they stood side by side. "Well enough, ever since you stood me up on our _date_."

Alex gulped. He'd known that was coming, and silently prayed to Sol that she hadn't noticed his reaction. "Which I seem to recall already apologizing for."

"Sounded more like made up excuses to me. Honestly, Alex, what kind of girl would believe you just _happened_ to get sick during the three hours between our afternoon class and the time we were supposed to meet? The least you could've done was call." She shook her head, annoyed. "I should've listened to Garet…"

Alex raised an eyebrow at that. "Really? And what did your charming little brother have to say about me?"

"That you're an arrogant S.O.B. who only cares about his own image."

Ouch. She didn't have to say it that easily. Alex made to stand. "Hmm. Well, maybe he's onto something, then." When Kay started to question where he was going, he simply waved over his shoulder and answered, "I have some things to take care of around here before I return to Vault. Say hi to Aaron for me, will you?"

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Isaac shouldered his school bag, waving with a forced smile if any of his classmates called a goodbye to him as they ran out for the busses. At least he'd finally managed to escape from Feizhi. It wasn't that he was unhappy to see her again, but… Geez! Did she have to talk nonstop every chance she got? That was one thing that was different about her: the Feizhi he remembered could be stubborn and talkative, but she had also been shyer around new people back then. He shrugged it off as he walked through the clearing halls. People changed over time, and Sol knows they'd been out of touch more than long enough for that to happen without his knowing.

"Isaac?" The named person looked back as he pushed open one of the heavy doors leading out, barely kept in a sigh of relief, and held the door open for Mia to step outside behind him. "Thanks... Um, Isaac, could I talk with you? Or really, could I ask you something?"

Isaac stopped on the second step down, and turned to face her. "Er, sure. What is it?"

Mia studied him for a moment, but he noticed another look that he recognized on her face, and that was concern. "Have you been feeling okay?"

Isaac tried to look as normal as possible with his answer. "Well I haven't been sick or anything, if that's what you-."

"Isaac, seriously, you know what I mean."

Isaac sighed. "Is it that obvious?"

"To me, yeah." Mia came down the stairs, Isaac falling into step beside her slow pace. "What sort of Mercury Adept would I be if I didn't?" She tried smiling, but let it fall again when Isaac didn't return the gesture. He was too focused on the ground in front of them, rather than looking in her direction.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Elsewhere, Alex pounded a fist against the wall, at the same time using it for support. He'd ducked into the nearest public restroom building when he'd felt a pressure starting to rise in his chest, and had just been grateful that no one else was inside. A teenager having trouble breathing, stumbling, and grabbing at the front of his own shirt wasn't likely to avoid notice, and the last thing he needed to top his day off was to be questioned to death about it.

After a moment or so, the spasm passed, and the sound of running water filled the room from one of the sinks. One splash to the face later, and after drying off with a paper towel, Alex left as though nothing had happened.

**&&&&&&&&&&**

Mia took a deep breath before continuing. "Actually, it's how you've been acting lately that gave it away. I know Kraden rambles a lot, and sometimes the material can get boring, but it's still not like you to fall asleep in class. _Especially_ not in his class."

"I've just been having some trouble sleeping, probably from all the senior class and graduation stuff they've got us already getting ready for," Isaac started to reason, but he had to leave it with that small argument. There was a small pain building in his chest, and he already knew how easy it would be for her to notice if there were a change in his tone. Lucky for him it faded away quickly.

Mia didn't look convinced, but there wasn't any point in pushing the subject. "Alright, if you say so." She spotted something out of the corner of her eye. "Oh great, what's he doing here?"

Isaac glanced at her, confused, then looked the opposite way to follow her line of sight. Across the road, leaning against a tree with arms folded, was another familiar blue-haired person. With a half smirk, Alex raised one hand in a wave. "Sorry, Mia. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" Before Mia could say anything against it, Isaac was already crossing the street. Shaking her head, she continued on.

Alex straightened as Isaac reached him. "Not interrupting, am I?"

Isaac glanced back to see Mia leaving, feeling bad for leaving her hanging like that. Facing forward again, he rolled his eyes at the look on Alex's face. The older Adept was also watching Mia go, but there was a distance in his expression as he did. "Is there something about the two of you that I don't know about?"

It was probably the only time Isaac had ever seen the guy shift his weight uneasily. "It's… complicated… But that's not important." He might have said the last part a little too quickly. "How's your Psynergy been?"

"What, you too?" Isaac questioned, getting irritated. "Do I have a sign on my back or something telling everyone to question my health today?" Alex looked interested, but Isaac only gave an exasperated sigh. Even if he did owe Alex his life, it didn't make the water Adept any less annoying and overly confident that usual. "Never mind. Why are you asking?"

"Just wondering." Isaac half glared at him. He'd been pulled away from talking to Mia for that? Alex was avoiding eye contact now.

"Alex, what are you up to this time?"

"Fine," Alex caved reluctantly a short minute later. "There's… something not right. I think it's my Psynergy acting up, only it feels like I'm having a darn _heart attack_ each time." The way he said it, Isaac wasn't sure if Alex was concerned, or just plain bored and annoyed.

"Have you checked with Kraden on it?" Alex shook his head. "Then what am I supposed to know about it?"

"You know how the old man gets. I'd rather try figuring it out for myself before I go through another one of his testing sessions." Isaac had no argument there. "Besides, what good could he do? Give me one of those leftover Psy Crystals? Something tells me that wouldn't work so well."

"I guess you have a point there. You haven't been having any strange nightmares about it, have you?"

"Would having the ink wash off my term paper right as it's due count?"

"Uh, probably not…"

"Or getting a date with some cute girl from class, only to have her fall into a randomly appearing fountain or pond and blame it all on me before she stomps off?"

"…Are you being serious?"

"If it doesn't count, then nope, no odd Psynergy related dreams here."

Isaac was sure of it: he'd never really understand Alex. "Okay, so then what makes you think I'd know anything about this?"

"What can I say? You're the only other person I know with messed up Psynergy." Point taken. Alex took a breath and opened his mouth to say something else, but cut himself off and returned to his usual confident tone. "Anyway, I should get going. I still have some work to get done before classes tomorrow, and my car is clear on the other side of the park." Isaac followed him to a dumpster hidden behind a nearby park building, and Alex smirked his farewell as the familiar blue light of his Psynergy surrounded him. Rolling his eyes again, Isaac walked away as his former classmate started to disappear with the teleportation.

A short cry behind him made him turn back. Alex sat on his knees where he had been standing before, the teleport had been cancelled, his arms were wrapped around him, and he was shivering. Isaac saw the Psynergy flicker away, and felt his stomach plummet. "Alex? Alex, what's wrong?" He didn't really need to ask; he knew very well what was happening.

Alex lifted his face as little as was needed when Isaac knelt in front of him, his skin starting to take on a bluish tint. He couldn't help grinning at the blond's face. It was an open book, always had been if you caught the owner at the right times, and right then it was turned to the chapter on, "worrying about someone who almost helped ruin your life." At least, that was Alex's take on it. "Heh. Guess I'll have to get a rain check on finishing my assignments this afternoon. Never was much of one… for… history…" His voice trailed off as his eyes rolled back and closed. Isaac caught him by the shoulders as he started to lean forward too far. He could still hear Isaac talking, but it was garbled and barely recognizable. "Just hang… there. Alex, jus… on…"

Isaac swore silently and pulled out his cell phone, trying to think of who to call. Mia and Garet seemed to have lasting issues with the guy, so they would have to be left as a last resort. Kraden would either be at school or at home working on one of his experiments, meaning Isaac would be lucky if he could reach the instructor at all. Scrolling through the phonebook on the screen, he finally pressed the button to dial a number.

One ring. Two rings. Come on, come on, please answer… Three rings. Four- "Hello?"

"Felix, where are you?"

"Taking Sheba home. We just left Ivan's a few minutes ago." There was a short pause, during which Isaac breathed a sigh of relief. "Isaac, you okay?"

"Yeah- I mean, no. I mean- Can you come to the park? Right now?"

"Um, sure. Where are you? Ah, hold on, the light's about to change. You can tell Sheba." Isaac could hear the two say something as the phone was passed over. He didn't explain much to the girl, other than where he was and that he needed them there ASAP. Oh, and to park so that the car would be close.

Alex was still shivering when the call ended, but he wasn't any more responsive than before. Isaac dug into his school bag for his own jacket. It wasn't much, but it did more for being around the Mercury Adept's shoulders than being scrunched into a ball.

"Oh, Sol," Felix breathed, taking in the scene he had Sheba had finally found. They had gotten there as quickly as they could, but part of him kept thinking they could've -- no, they _should've_ -- gotten there sooner. He walked over and knelt beside Isaac, who was still supporting Alex. "Alex? Can you hear me, pal?"

Isaac looked between the two. Pal? He'd have to ask later. "He started to Teleport. Next thing I knew, he was like this." Before he could say anything else, Felix was pulling the older Adept to his feet and draping one limp arm across his shoulders.

"He's not unconscious yet, but he's too heavy to carry. Help me get him to the car, and you can say what happened when we get to Kraden's." Somehow, Felix was right. As he and Isaac held Alex up and led him along, Alex's feet moved to walk with them, although it was sluggish, clumsy, and slow. The silent drive to Kraden's house couldn't have been longer.

**&&&&&&&&&&  
End of Chapter  
&&&&&&&&&&**

(pokes the end chapter block) Yep, I know that thing's probably annoying, but FF.N changes their formatting styles so often, it's the only thing I know for sure will carry over between my computer and my account. XP So, that ends chapter 3, with... another cliffy. Kinda, maybe? Would, "extremely steep hill," sound better? XD Feizhi fans probably aren't going to like me much by the end of this story. I've got nothing against the character, but for this particular plot, don't be surprised if she starts picking up some Mary Sue qualities. There is a reason for it, I promise.

Now for some author note advertising. Yuzuki Minoru (formerly known as Kairi of Light) is writing a semi-AU fic based on the New Kid series. So, if you like this story, "A Second Chance" is now waiting in her profile for some nice and helpful reviews (hint hint ;P ).

Laters, everyone!


	4. They Call It a Doorbell

**The New Kid 2**

Wow, would you look at that date? Time really flies, doesn't it? Eh hehe… heh?

Okay, yeah, I suck. XP As dumb as it probably is to say this, though, the delay might've been a good thing, because it brought about some major replanning for this story, even if my spellchecker is saying that isn't a word. How much replanning? Well, take a look-see at the somewhat new summary, and just see if you can find any "AU" labels anymore. That's all the hinting I'm giving for now, though.

Aaaaaaaand... I can't think of much else to say here, sooooo… Enjoy the new, completely revised storyline (because the original plans were right up there with "worst and most cliché sequels ever written"), which starts… well, about halfway into this chapter. 8D

Disclaimer: Did Isaac get a major role in Super Smash Bros. Brawl? No? He only got a role as a trophy-whatever-character, you say? Since that's the case, I obviously don't own Golden Sun. (But that doesn't put me above squee-ing in a fangirlish fashion every time I see him in CG form :shifty eyes: )

Dividing line testing time!

**& Chapter 4 &  
**(There should be 10 "&" symbols in that line. What. The. Heck?)

Kraden was a confusing old man. Hardly anything was known about him, but at times he seemed to know more about Psynergy than the Adepts who used it. He was obsessed with history and alchemy, and, as was the conclusion Isaac was gradually coming to about the scientist…

Kraden really needed to call a decorator. And maybe someone to fix the living room floor, because Felix's pacing was bound to wear a hole through to the basement.

Isaac shifted his weight on the uncomfortable brown sofa. Sheba, meanwhile, sat at the dining room table, reading over whatever book it was she had pulled from one of the many bookshelves. The table itself, which looked to be almost as old as its owner, would be lucky if it could comfortably seat over four people to begin with.

He shook his head. Alright, what in Sol's name had made him start studying Kraden's choice in furniture?

All three of the room's occupants looked up at the sound of a door opening, and soon the scientist himself emerged from the hallway. "I must say, children, that I am almost completely at a loss for any explanation. He was medically hypothermic for a short while, but his core temperature finally came back up. Still a little cyanosis visible, but that probably has more to do with his element than-" Felix failed to hold back a quiet, annoyed groan. For once, Kraden noticed the noise in the middle of his rambling, along with the confused looks he was getting. "He should be fine after he gets some rest," he translated, not bothering to hide all of his disappointment.

Whatever breath had been held was released, if any had been held to begin with. "Did he say if he knew anything about what happened?" Sheba questioned.

The scholar shook his head, removing his small, round spectacles to clean them with the bottom edge of his navy sweater. "I'm afraid he is still unconscious, and may stay that way for a while yet." He held up the glasses to the light, checked for any remaining smudges or dust on the lenses, and, satisfied, returned them to their rightful place on the bridge of his nose. "I must confess, however, that I can't help feeling that this is my fault. I should have looked more into Alex's abilities than I originally did. It's very lucky that this happened when he wasn't alone, or he could have been in for a whole new level of trouble."

"It's happened before, though." All eyes turned to Felix, who had his hands in his pockets and was staring a hole through the floor. "When we were Babi's prisoners, Alex and Saturos argued, but they didn't realize we were right there and could hear them. Alex tried teleporting, but it hurt him instead." He looked up to stare at Kraden, his expression an unreadable mix of everything but happiness. "What did Babi want with Alex? Saturos said something about Isaac not being the only Adept Babi wanted."

Kraden fidgeted uneasily. "Babi was never very open with his motives. He could have wanted Alex for any number of reasons," he said simply. It didn't seem like something he wanted to discuss right then, and he quickly slipped onto a different subject.

With the attention redirected to Isaac retelling what happened for the fourth time, no one really noticed or minded when the oldest schoolmate edged out of the room. No one except quiet Sheba, but for now she seemed more interested in reading.

A short moment later, the door at the end of the hall creaked lightly as it was opened, then gently shut again. Footsteps were slow and careful against the carpeted floor, the owner picking up a wooden chair along the way and setting it down beside the bed.

"Fine mess you've started again this time," he muttered, even if he knew Alex wouldn't hear him. Alex appeared to be sound asleep in the bed, his body buried under the sheets and a thick cover blanket. A few other blankets were piled on for added warmth, but his hands lay at his sides and on top of the several layers. What looked like a brace of sorts was tied around his left index finger, and a wire ran from the device to a monitor that showed numbers that made no sense. Felix's best guess was that it was for monitoring Alex's health, and was probably the most "high tech" thing in Kraden's entire scientific or medical collections. For now, there was nothing else to be done. All that was left was to sit… and wait. Felix intended to do just that.

Then again, when Alex had collapsed at the compound, Piers had been called on to help heal the Adept. If Piers was needed for healing, and not just conventional healing methods, then either Piers was an incredible doctor, or Psynergy could be used to help these situations. Felix wasn't a doctor. He had no interest in ever becoming anything close to one. But… perhaps…

Glancing over his shoulder to make sure the door was still closed, Felix flexed the fingers of his left hand and bit his lip. He wasn't so sure of himself. Piers knew all the ins and outs of Psynergy, but he hadn't been heard from since leaving Vale. There was no telling on when or if the Lemurian may or may not return, and Felix wasn't going to wait that long.

He reached out, at the same time mentally reaching in.

Light. Soft, golden light, illuminating his palm and fingertips. It filled him. But then it would slip away from him, leaving a feeling of emptiness behind it, and go out to someone who needed it more—

"Do the others know you can do that?"

Felix snapped his eyes open, almost seeing stars as his eyes readjusted. They hadn't been closed that long, had they? Regardless, Alex was awake, if not looking a little groggy, with one eyebrow raised at his visitor. "Or do you normally go around, randomly patting the shoulders of former enemies? You've picked up some odd habits since middle school, Felix."

Felix jerked his forgotten hand away from resting on Alex's shoulder. "You weren't always the enemy," he said quietly.

Alex stacked the two pillows and lifted himself to sit against them, repressing a pained cringe at the movement. "Yeeeeaaah… And you weren't always Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes." He settled back down again. "Speaking of which, you didn't answer my question. How long have you been doing the glowy hand stunt?"

Leave it to Alex to make nothing of everything, though at the same time, Felix couldn't help feeling he was being scolded like a little kid. He looked away, trying to hide his mild embarrassment. "A while now."

"Since Babi?"

"Since Babi."

"Thought so." Alex shrugged when Felix frowned at him. "Kind of hard for so many controlled Venus attacks to be going on, especially when the only known Venus Adept is falling apart at the seams. Even if all you really did was block the guards a few times." He studied the younger Adept knowingly. "So, why the secrecy?"

"And risk not being able to control it?"

Alex laughed, something that Felix hadn't expected. "Felix, you may be smart, but you aren't being very bright." He could've laughed again at the glare he received, but instead smirked and shrugged as though it was the most obvious thing. "Only Isaac has that kind of Venus Psynergy. Sorry, but your Psynergy is just as normal as it comes."

"Gee, thanks."

"Anytime, pal." Alex grinned up at the ceiling. His eyelids began to droop, and, closing his eyes, he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Good Sol, was I hit by a speeding _truck_?" Felix almost chuckled, but managed to keep a fairly straight face in return. "What happened, anyway? Where am I-?" The Mercury Adept pulled his hand back enough to look around the room, and his vision fell on the several framed certificates and diplomas hanging on the walls. "Oh, for Sol AND Luna! I'm at Kraden's? What genius had the bright idea to hand me over to the mad scientist?!"

"With the way you treat everyone else, you should be grateful for having any help at all." Sheba had her arms crossed, standing in the now opened doorway.

Alex gave a mock wave and lay back again. "Touché." He frowned slightly, but then shrugged. "Hmm, guess I should ask at some point. What happened?" He rolled his eyes when all he got were confused looks. "_After_ I passed out. Sol, I don't have amnesia."

"Oh." Felix straightened. "Not much. Isaac called us, and we came to get you."

"Of course, if you would prefer, we could take you back and leave you by the dumpsters where we found you."

The way Sheba could talk in such a deadpan fashion was scary. Alex merely scoffed uneasily and looked away. "No, thanks, I think I'll take my chances here."

"Suit yourself. Felix, Kraden wanted to discuss some more things with us."

Felix nodded and stood. "Alright, I'm coming. Try to get some rest, Alex—" A sharp tug on Felix's sleeve made him stop and turn back. Alex's fist clung to the fabric, but the college freshman's eyes were tightly closed. Almost as if… in pain. "Alex?" The person in question loosened his grip, opening his eyes and patting the arm away.

"Nothing. Just slow healing." Alex's trademark smirk met Felix's concern, but he simply waved his hands to shoo the younger Adepts away. "Go see what the old guy wants, will you? I don't want him coming in here to give whatever lecture it is this time."

That request, however, was found to be in vain, when Alex ended up having to listen, anyway. Wrapped up in a thick, knitted quilt on one of the overstuffed living room couches, he had to sit while Kraden preached on, and on, and on, and-

"That _still_ doesn't explain what happened in the park." Luckily for Alex, there were no items within Kraden's throwing distance when the scientist was interrupted for the second time. Finally, to the relief of his students, it was declared that Kraden in fact didn't know what had caused the events, and would need time for further research. In any case, it was getting late. As the others stood to leave, Alex risked his reputation to give the three high schoolers a pleading glance.

"Alex, on the other hand, will be staying here for the night," the instructor announced, causing the named youth to cringe. "It would be irresponsible to allow you to return to Vault in your current condition, Mr. Azul. As for the rest of you, I will see you all in class tomorrow."

**LINELINELINELINELINE**

The front door creaked lightly as Isaac stepped inside, his keys tinkling metallically as he pocketed them and locked the door behind him. The house itself was quiet, aside from the TV in the lit living room, but a murmuring drew his attention to one of the couches as he started for the stairs. A few moving boxes had been placed in the room, most of their contents already piled in front of whatever wall, cabinet, or shelf they would be stored on or in. Even after a year, the small family of two still hadn't entirely finished unpacking, and not even Isaac was sure why his mother had suddenly decided to pull more of the boxes out of storage.

Isaac twisted his face into a saddened frown, taking a blanket from the back of the unoccupied couch, and crossing the room to where Dora sat against some of the pillows, her head resting against the back of the couch cushions as she slept. It always worried him how she pushed herself. Work during the day, bills to pay and groceries to buy in the afternoons, dinner in the evenings, chores on the weekends, and now unpacking heavy boxes during what little free time she rarely had to begin with. And, whenever Isaac offered to help with anything, she always shooed him off to study or be with his friends.

"Don't you worry about me," she would always say, in her own stubborn and scolding way. "I have two perfectly good legs, and two working arms, and as long as it stays that way, no son of mine is going to be taking care of me like he's the parent in this household. Biggest things you're to worry about right now are whatever tests or quizzes you have coming up."

"Night, Mom," Isaac whispered softly, resting the blanket over her as carefully as he could. She really was his saving grace, taking on all the stresses and burdens possible so Isaac wouldn't have to, and he could only wait for the day when he would finally be able to return the favor.

Standing straight again, Isaac smiled when Dora didn't wake. He pressed a button on the TV to turn it off, and turned back towards the stairs when one of the unpacked items caught his eye. Leaning against a bare, white wall, was a picture frame twice the size of the others waiting to be hung. Three familiar and unmoving faces smiled at him from behind the glass. For a moment, all Isaac could do was to stare back. He remembered the day the family portrait had been taken, how Dora had spent the greater part of the morning trying to tame his unruly blonde hair. She had finally given up, saying that his hair must've taken after his father's, only to then turn around and chase Kyle around the house in an attempt to flatten his hair as well.

Isaac sighed and adjusted the shoulder strap to his bag, starting up the stairs. If his mother was ready to start hanging pictures of Kyle on the walls again, he would just have to bite his tongue and say nothing against it.

**LINELINELINELINELINE**

Alex knew he should've stayed in Vault. Sure, most of his college courses were led by loony old guys, but not even they could compare to the loony old guy known as Doctor Kraden. Vale's loony old guy was too one of a kind in that department. This particular loony old guy had an all out _laboratory_ in his _basement_, collected old artwork from mystery artists, and seemed to think certificates of scientific achievement and PhD diplomas made for quality guest room decor.

Thank Sol that Felix had left Alex with a spare change of clothes. It spared him from having to dress the same as the loony old guy, even if the sweatpants were a few inches too short.

Somewhere in the house, a clock chimed one in the morning. Alex groaned. The sooner he got to sleep, the sooner, it would seem, he'd be returning to his apartment in Vault. Now, if only the idiot outside would turn off the car headlights shining in the guestroom window – yes, those lights – and would not start knocking on doors at one A.M. – yep, just like that – and– Oh, screw it. Kraden obviously wasn't going to answer it.

Silently cursing whoever would be knocking at front doors at such an hour, Alex stiffly clambered out of the bed. He stopped at the end of the hallway, however, when he heard the clinking of something in a lock. Maybe someone was trying to break in? No, house invaders didn't knock before doing so, or at least none of the smart ones did. A few seconds more of debating what to do, the door swung open, and was closed silently again behind the darkly clad intruder. Navy jeans, a black coat, and a black hood hid the person from giving Alex a clear view, but even from his hiding spot in the hallway, he could still spot a shiny object being slipped into a pocket. Hopefully it was nothing more than a key.

The man glanced around, Alex quickly pulling back to avoid being seen, and was gone by the time the youth dared to check again. It was unnerving how silent the person was being, but the sound of footsteps on the old stairs leading into the basement was somewhat reassuring. Oh, wait… Wasn't Kraden still down there? "Darn it," Alex muttered under his breath, moving out into the open to follow. The old scientist may be as annoying as sin, but he was pretty much all that the Adepts had when it came to finding out more about their powers.

A startled cry and the sound of something heavy hitting the floor, followed by something made of glass shattering, had one such wide-eyed Adept halfway down the stairs before two voices made him pause again.

"Would it perhaps kill you to knock, young man?"

There was a familiar chuckle. It faced Alex's mind with too many opposing thoughts, but the familiarity of it made him nevertheless release a relieved sigh. "I did, but it seems the sound does not travel well into this area. Next time, I shall be sure to use the doorchime."

"Doorbell, Piers," Kraden corrected. "We call them doorbells." Alex could almost hear the Lemurian nodding appreciatively at the information. It was one of the more annoying things about the guy. The last thing anyone needed was a second, younger Kraden walking around Vale, thanking everyone who pointed out his stupid comments. "In any case, did you learn anything interesting on your tri-"

"The Great Migration," Piers cut in, his tone suddenly loosing its humor, and Alex could clearly imagine Kraden looking like a denied child at not finishing the question. Maybe he'd hoped to say something he thought was witty. "You never told me about such a thing happening within recent years."

Kraden sighed tiredly, and he could be heard moving around the lab again. "Piers, to us non-Lemurians, 'recent' does not include something from over a decade ago. Besides, it's nothing more than a disputed theory."

"To a race that lives for as short a time as yours, perhaps, but to mine, it was once a well-documented event."

"Once?"

Piers sounded reluctant to continue, yet he did. "Such population movements… Before Lemuria once again withdrew from the outside world, the migrations were a topic of much debate. Have you ever studied the chronological spacing?" Kraden must have shaken his head. "There has typically been a more notable one every five hundred years, with intermittent ones occurring roughly every century. There has never been an explanation for the cause, only suspicions, but it is as though the people of Weyard are subconsciously lured towards certain areas of the land at such times."

"Would that not be linked to the economic growths in such areas, or perhaps job availability?"

"No. The alterations never occur until after the migrations." There was a thoughtful pause, with Alex carefully edging further down the stairs, and then, quietly, "There are ruins… at each site."

"Ruins?"

"Of civilizations as ancient, if not more so, than Lemuria itself. Even the legends surrounding them have had time to become little more than fairytale myths."

"What sort of… ruins?" Kraden's voice asked, as though being careful of his words while at the same time hoping for a particular answer.

Piers didn't seem to disappoint. "Most were underground or in caves, likely a result of the common skepticisms during alchemy's gradual decline. There are four sites that stand out more so, however. Are you familiar with any stories pertaining to the Elemental Lighthouses?"

The sound of a chair scraping against the floor echoed in the room, and Alex peered around the corner to see Kraden looking as though he had just collapsed into the overstuffed one he now sat in. "Great Sol," he breathed, staring up at Piers wide-eyed. "Y-You mean..." He shook his head. "B-But the stories? The excavations? Assuming the findings are even the real deal, no one's ever been able to _enter_ those things, much less find any information regarding them! Those towers have been inaccessible since well before any form of recorded history!"

Piers nodded, unfazed. "In your recorded history, perhaps. In the scrolls and tomes within the libraries of Lemuria, the Lighthouses are little more of a mystery than a study of this modern town. The only parts not thoroughly detailed are the exact locations. That is, in regards to modern geography. Many things have changed since the Lighthouses were first constructed, but from what I have learned so far, they are likely the only lead that remains open to us."

It was Kraden's turn to nod, only he looked more like a bobble-head than anything for two seconds. "Yes, of course. I'm afraid I only know the whereabouts of three such structures, however, and only two of those would I even be willing to let anyone further investigate." Piers, who had been facing any direction but towards the scientist, now turned his full attention to the man. Kraden considered something for a moment, before massaging his lowered forehead and speaking again. "There is one in the south, just north of Lalivero. Ironically, it's the same town where Sheba originally resided, before her current guardians moved their main residence to here. The second is to the west and on the continent of Atteka. The town of Contigo would be the closest landmark to that one."

"And the third?" Piers questioned, when Kraden didn't continue.

The scholar squirmed, averting his gaze. "As for the third tower… Well, I'd really prefer you'd leave that one be." He fidgeted, glancing several times in Piers' direction, before the even stare of the Lemurian finally made him cave. "Alright, fine! But don't say I didn't warn you. It's to the northeast of a northern town called Imil. That is, if you can even call it a town anymore. A death trap would be the better title." Alex scowled silently at the description.

Piers couldn't help a small, triumphant smile at gaining the information, and nonchalantly seated himself in another chair so he could continue staring at the scientist. "And why would that be?"

"I'm warning you, Piers," Kraden started, waving a finger to emphasize said warning, "getting in and out of Imil isn't worth the trouble. That place has always had trouble with illnesses, but now it's little more than a gathering spot for the sick. The security around the borders to keep it all contained is… is… well, mind-boggling, to say the least. All entry was cut off a few years ago, anyway. Anyone who tries to leave has to undergo quarantine for so long, most simply resign themselves to their fate and stay within."

"I still would like to try. The only point in visiting any of the Lighthouses would be if I could visit them all. If only two are accessible, then it is hardly worth the time studying them to begin with."

The old scholar sighed. There just wasn't any convincing younger folk into thinking otherwise, but in this case, he'd have to. "Piers, you know I appreciate what you've done, and I am eternally grateful to you. But… I simply cannot give my approval of you going anywhere near that place. Even I don't fully know how their systems or rules work."

"Then who might I go to for help in handling such a matter?"

Taking another deep, hesitant breath, Kraden opened his mouth to speak – "I'll go." – and instantly shut it when it wasn't he, nor Piers, who spoke.

**& Chapter's End &**

And when they all turned around, it was to find that Chuck Norris was the volunteer. :is shot:

Kidding, kidding. Too bad this update wasn't ready in time for April Fool's day. I could've really had some fun with it. I didn't even remember April Fool's until a coworker said, with an absolutely straight face, that our manager wanted us to sample out water (I'm a coffee stand barista in a grocery store).

Speaking of April Fool's, I usually don't pay much attention to what pranks people pull, but there were some pretty good ones this year around the net. I'm still getting over IGN's fake Legend of Zelda movie trailer. Not that I thought it was real, because I didn't see it until the next day when others were talking about it (I can be such a killjoy v.v ), but still, for a three-minute spoof trailer, they sure didn't cut many corners. Gotta love the uncle/guy at the beginning, telling Link to not touch anything. XD Forget the manners and not speaking to strangers, Link, just don't touch that freaking sword!

Anywho, this chapter ended a few pages shorter than I had hoped, and not much happened, but almost an entire year between updates seemed cruel enough without me procrastinating even more. x.x So, yeah, for those who notice that this story hasn't completely turned into roadkill yet, reviews are muchly luffed, as always. Big thankies and cookies to those who reviewed chapter 3!

Laters!


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